Ba To is one of the six mountainous districts in Quang Ngai Province, 60km from the provincial centre to the southwest, with a population of 48,200 people. Of this number, the ethnic groups, including the H're people, account for nearly 90%.
Since 2004 the H're ethnic people have given up their nomadic life style and settled down. They are now supported with farm land and are instructed in techniques on cultivating on terraced fields and growing two crops of wet rice a year. Over the past years, Ba To District's authority helped build nearly 500 houses for the H're households at a cost of nearly six billion VND, completed and put into operation 80 dispersed running water works and two concentrated running water works.
Earlier this year the traditional craft of brocade weaving of the H're ethnic people was recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage. The Folk Arts and Culture Fund has carried out the project on preserving the brocade weaving craft in Teng Village in Ba Kham Commune. More than 30 artisans in the village joined together to open a class to hand down the craft to 100 H're girls. The village has now become animated with the sounds of looms.